Tropical Slipper Orchids: Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedium Species and Hybrids

Description

Distinguished by a prominent slipper-shaped lip and often decorated with warts, hairs, or stripes, the curious flowers of slipper orchids have captivated orchid growers for 150 years and may be the most popular group of orchids in cultivation. This horticultural account brims with tips and advice for growing and flowering the tropical members of this intriguing group while providing comprehensive information on their history, biology, ecology, conservation, and hybridization. Descriptions of the cultivated species and the most desirable of the thousands of hybrids are organized into horticulturally important alliances. More than 350 stunning illustrations accompany the engaging text.

Harold Koopowitz is professor emeritus of ecology at the University of California at Irvine. Previously, he was the director of the University of California at Irvine Arboretum for twenty years when it specialized in African bulbous and cormous plants. Koopowitz has long-standing interests in the hybridization of a variety of specialist plants, including slipper orchids and bulbs such as daffodils, clivias, and adeniums. He has traveled extensively to study orchids in the wild and is diligent in his efforts to encourage discussion about endangered plants. The results of his devotion include numerous scientific papers on orchids, deforestation, and the effects of long conversion on plant extinctions. He is a long-standing member of the conservation committee of the American Orchid Society and a member of the Orchid Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission. In 2003 he was awarded the Herbert Medal, the highest honor the International Bulb Society can bestow upon a person for meritorious achievement in advancing the knowledge of bulbous plants. The author of several books on horticulture and conservation, Koopowitz is currently editor-in-chief for the Orchid Digest. He resides in Santa Ana, California.

Beautiful and informative ... includes information for those just learning about orchids and experienced growers. -- Molly Day Muskogee Phoenix Online 20080121 This beautiful volume by an accredited American Orchid Society judge and well-known ecologist is more than a scholarly treatise. It is packed with more than 300 color photos and paintings that feature the beautiful ... slipper orchids. ... An invaluable reference book for serious growers. -- Susan Umberger Lexington Herald-Leader 20080322 Koopowitz's engaging text is filled with tips and advice for growing these fascinating plants; it also provides complete information on their history, biology, ecology, and conservation. For professionals and beginners alike. -- John Bagnasco Garden Compass 20080701 Koopowitz guides the reader with a dexterity that only his decades of experience with these special plants makes possible. Whether the reader is a novice to orchids or an experienced slipper grower, anyone should love both the knowledge and beauty that this volume offers. -- Hadley Cash Orchid Digest 20081101 Written for beginners and specialists by a former professional orchid grower and lifelong enthusiast, and it is copiously illustrated with high quality photographs throughout. What more could one want? -- Joyce Stewart Orchid Review 20090601